I pledge allegiance

by Chris Lynch
While growing up together, four friends pledge to look out for each other, and so when one decides to enlist during the Vietnam War, the others do, too, in different services. This compelling novel, the first in a series, follows Morris, who joins the navy. Morris is stationed on a cruiser that patrols the waters off the coast of Vietnam, shelling inland positions when called upon. Lynch puts his readers in the center of intense conflict, conveying what it feels like to face a largely unseen enemy firing from the jungle. He also manages to evoke other, unforgettable Vietnam conditions heat and humidity, intense tropical storms, and ever-present fear. Readers will likely seek out future volumes in the series, each of which will focus on another of the four friends and his war experience

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Z: Zombie Stories

Edited by J.M. Lassen
When the zombie apocalypse comes, it's teens who will inherit the Earth. That's one thought readers can take away from this eclectic collection of 10 reprints and one new story featuring young adult protagonists dealing with all manner of zombies. Offerings range from the slice-of-life (such as Darrell Schweitzer's "The Dead Kid," which is suggestive of a more horrific version of Stand By Me) to the stomach-churning (Marie Atkins' "Seven Brains, Ten Minutes," which pushes its narrator past the point of no return). Nina Kiriki Hoffman's "The Third Dead Body" imagines a lifeline connecting those who have been murdered by the same hand, and Scott Edelman's "The Human Race" is a provocative look at what it means to be alive when those we love are dead. Leading things off is Jonathan Maberry's post-apocalyptic novella, "Family Business," which was recently expanded into the full-length Rot & Ruin; original to this collection is Thomas Roche's "Deepwater Miracle," which stages a zombie attack at sea. Often gruesome and frequently disturbing, this anthology isn't for the fainthearted, reading more as a collection of stories about teens than ones expressly written for them. Ages 14-up.
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Every Other Day

by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Paranormal gets a twist in this entertaining start to a new series about Kali, who alternates between being a normal 16-year-old one day and a vampirish demon hunter the next. It helps that her father is busy in his own work and doesn't notice her bloodied clothes or late-night absences, during which she tries to save her town from the threat of hellhounds, dragons, basilisks, and manticores. Kali is a worthy character to follow: sarcastic and self-sufficient, but also self-deprecating. After she saves a snobby cheerleader by transferring a deadly chupacabra to her own body, she finds herself linked to and caring for a fellow demon hunter, Zev, who communicates with her as a voice in her head. The cheerleader wants to return the favor and save Kali next, leading to an unlikely partnership that turns to friendship. Add evil villains, a mystery surrounding Kali's parentage, a friend who claims to be a little psychic, and some plot twists, and this will leave readers eagerly waiting for the sequel.

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Zombie Cupcakes

by Zilly Rosen

Rosen is the owner of Zillycakes, a bakery in Buffalo, NY, that provides unique baked goods and offers cake-decorating classes. This is the perfect cookbook-with cupcakes featuring, e.g., bride and groom zombies in a graveyard-to make your next Halloween party a hit. Step-by-step illustrations will guide novice bakers to create complex--looking cupcake designs. Lots of photographs and illustrations make this an enjoyable and instructional cookbook. Highly recommended for entertainers and bakers.

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